WITH the UK lockdown measures being relaxed, many learners may be wondering when driving lessons can resume.

According to the RAC, to pass their driving test, the average learner requires 20 hours of practice, in addition to 45 hours of driving lessons. But with the recent changes to the UK's lockdown guidelines, when can lessons start again?

This means driving lessons should not be conducted during the lockdown, unless it's for key workers.

Driving tests have also been put on hold for up to three months but emergency tests are available to those whose work is critical in the coronavirus response.

A statement from the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP) read: "Any decision to return to on-road training needs to be carefully evaluated by each individual trainer (and training school) and all the risks considered and weighted accordingly.

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"So far we have urged caution on this issue and recommended that training should be restricted to that of key workers with an essential need to acquire a new licence or develop their driving for the purposes of driving for work or for essential journeys to work locations.

"However, any decision you make is at your own discretion and risk, NASP cannot make that decision for you.

"What we can do however is offer advice and guidance on the risks associated with delivering training at this time, how to evaluate them and how to manage them.

"NASP will send out our updated guidelines in a few days. NASP will be working together to deliver wider guidance for the industry at large.

"However at this time no one should feel coerced into returning to training."

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Driving instructors are among the professions to be hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdown as many are self-employed.

Chris Bensted, who has been an instructor for 12 years, told Kent Live: "The interesting thing about driving instructors, even in big companies is that everyone is an individual instructor.

"This means that they are a group of individual instructors who are self-employed.

"About 40% of instructors aren't getting help and are not eligible for Universal Credit."